Yep! I discovered the problem just by looking at a picture taken of us this past Friday.

Nelson has had back issues since I can remember. Usually his left side, but mostly on his lower back.

I have spent a fortune on Chiropractors, I have spent a fortune on Professional Saddle Fitters to make sure that my saddle fits him properly and I've spent a fortune on saddle pads that are supposed to be the "Cure all's" - to discover, that it's been me all this time!

Yep, I thought it was my saddle, or Nelson's back being weak or due to his age and all this technical stuff - to discover I have been the problem all this time!

It took this 1 picture that was just taken of me, to discover the issue!

So I went through other pictures of mine - to discover the same issue! DOH! I will be honest, I never realized I was that off. I had no idea nor have I felt that I was tilting like that.

So, all this time I've been spending money on all these other aspects thinking that they were the problem - to discover that it was me all this time.

So aside from me getting a Chiro adjustment - what else can I do to correct this issue?

I'd say ride in arena with mirrors - they help a lot to check on straightness so you can adjust (given it's not something physical you can't really deal with). But I know not every facility has this luxury. :(

Just out of curiosity, does it hurt the horse to not have both the stirrups the exact same length? I ask because lately I've found that my right leg has been uncomfortable so I lengthened the right stirrup by one hole and I immediately found relieve. However, after I did this my mom said that there was a noticeable difference in the stirrups.

I hope that it is the leathers......keeping my fingers crossed that that is the case - I haven't been able to get out to the barn tonight, so when I get out tomorrow, I'll definately be exploring that option.

But if it is my pelvis/hip - this also explains why my left pant leg is always hanging longer than my right. And I also notice that I put alot of weight into my left leather as well.

In that picture, my shoulders appear to be even....so if it was the leathers, wouldn't my whole body be tilted? I don't know....

But if it is my pelvis/hip - this also explains why my left pant leg is always hanging longer than my right. And I also notice that I put alot of weight into my left leather as well.

In that picture, my shoulders appear to be even....so if it was the leathers, wouldn't my whole body be tilted? I don't know....

If the leathers have been like that for so long then maybe your upper body may have just gotten used to it?
I still think it's just the leathers, especially after you said you've noticed that you put a lot of weight into your left side.

There's been times I'll go through an entire trail ride or halfway through, and then notice that someone has used my saddle because the leathers are off by a hole or two on one side.

I found out after going to the chiropractor for myself after a bad fall, that my pelvis was twisted pretty far to the right. Now that I've been adjusted, there is definitely a difference. My stirrups are still slightly different, but not nearly as bad. It helped out a lot of things, and I sit a whole lot straighter. There were other things as well that I did that I didn't even realize were an "issue" until after I got adjusted. If you have the money, I would highly recommend that you go see a chiropractor. Find someone that is highly recommended in your area. Mine took full x-rays of my back, hips and neck, to figure out where my problems were, and what needed to be done to help. I recommend someone who will talk to you in depth about what they are doing, and what they see so you understand what is going on with your body.
Your stirrups don't have to be exactly the same length, but they should be extremely noticeable. Most people have one leg that is slightly longer than the other, from what my chiro told me.

I don't know if it's just your leathers - look at your hips in the first picture, your left hip is about an inch lower than your right one. Here's hoping it's a quick fix, whatever the actual issue may be!

I know letting out one stirrup works for me. My hips are constantly off and when I notice I am putting more weight on one stirrup, I will either lengthen that one or shorten the other one by a hole and it works. Of course, I only use that as a quick fix until I can see the chiro.

Try riding another person's horse and see how it is, and take a photo if you can. I hate to be the devil's advocate, but it STILL can be Nelson. He can be throwing you off to one side. My horse continually throws me to the right. I do not experience this on antoher horse.

Register Now

In order to be able to post messages on the The Horse Forum forums, you must first register.

Already have a Horse Forum account?
Members are allowed only one account per person at the Horse Forum, so if you've made an account here in the past you'll need to continue using that account. Please do not create a new account or you may lose access to the Horse Forum. If you need help recovering your existing account, please Contact Us. We'll be glad to help!

New to the Horse Forum?Please choose a username you will be satisfied with using for the duration of your membership at the Horse Forum. We do not change members' usernames upon request because that would make it difficult for everyone to keep track of who is who on the forum. For that reason, please do not incorporate your horse's name into your username so that you are not stuck with a username related to a horse you may no longer have some day, or use any other username you may no longer identify with or care for in the future.

User Name:

Password

Please enter a password for your user account. Note that passwords are case-sensitive.

Password:

Confirm Password:

Email Address

Please enter a valid email address for yourself.

Email Address:

OR

Log-in

User Name

Password

Remember Me?

Old Thread Warning

This thread is more than 90 days old. When a thread is this old, it is often better to start a new thread rather than post to it. However, If you feel you have something of value to add to this particular thread, you can do so by checking the box below before submitting your post.I am aware that this is an old thread and I want to revive it rather than starting a new thread.